Exam 1 History Since 1877

What is the Dawes Severalty Act

The Dawes Severality Act of 1887 a U.S law aimed to allow Native Americans gain U.S citizenship. In efforts to do so, 90 million acres of land was stripped away from Native Americans and sold to white American settlers. The law granted Native Americans rights after twenty- five years of being farmers and separating themselves from their tribe and in order for children to receive an education, they were forced to leave their tribe. Supporters of the act believed Native Americans would finally have rights, get an education, and have private land to farm. However, the act led to the breakup of native tribes and left Native Americans feeling the long-lasting effects. 

The Homestead Act of 1862

The Homestead Act of 1862 promoted westward expansion by offering 160 acres of free land to any settler or U.S citizen that was willing to improve the land for five years. The settlers had the ability to build a home or farm the land during that time. Poor farmers and freed slaves mainly took advantage of this opportunity in efforts to create a new life for themselves. This act transformed the domestic era, and King Cotton was replaced by Kind Corn. Overall, the Homestead Act allowed the growth of western America and new ideas of agriculture but ultimately forced Native Americans out of their original settlements.  

What is the Fourteenth Amendment 

The Fourteenth Amendment, fully ratified in 1868, was passed in order to grant citizenship to freedmen after the completion of the Civil War. The amendment states that all persons born on U.S soil are citizens of the country and in the state in which you reside. By interoperating this, every citizen has equal rights and is protected by the constitution no matter the color of your skin. This amendment has remained in conversation even today and will come into question in Supreme Court cases later on in history. 

Who is Andrew Carnegie 

Andrew Carnegie is known for his incredible wealth and the creation of the steel factory. At his factory, Carnegie only hires friends and family members to work for him. In 1892, the price of steel collapses, so in response, Carnegie cuts their wages, and the workers decide to go on strike. In response to the strike, a gun battle breaks out and eventually leads to the governor of Pennsylvania calling the national guard in efforts to end the fight. The strike ends with strikers losing their jobs and don’t end up getting paid higher wages. 

Plessy vs. Ferguson

Plessy vs. Ferguson is a Supreme Court Case in 1896 that focuses on racial segregation in the United States. The case began when Plessy was segregated because of his mixed race.  The court ruled “separate but equal” and ratified Jim Crow in the south and discrimination throughout the country. “Separate but Equal” states that as long as whites and blacks are both offered the same thing, then they can be separated. In reality, the law was not interpreted that way and caused conflict throughout the United States for about sixty years after the Supreme Court Case was established.

Chinese Exclusion Act

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first time in the United States we denied immigrants. The law denied Chinese immigrants the right to naturalization and also made it difficult for Chinese already living in America to become Americans. Private citizens also denied Chinese the ability to purchase land in order for them to build homes or farm for crops. Because of the exclusion, the Chinese chose to create their own community known as Chinatowns. These towns are still remembered today in areas like New York or Chicago. 

The Compromise of 1877

The Compromise of 1877 resolved the conflict between the most complicated elections in U.S history between Tilden and Hayes. The Democrats barely won the popular vote while the Republicans won the electoral college vote. This election became very violate, but Hayes came out with three promises: To remove military in the south, let democrats have post office master job, and the republicans agree to vote a democrat as Speaker of the House. Democrats agree to this compromise and Hayes becomes president by avoiding conflict in D.C, but violence in the south.

Eugene Debs 

Eugene Debs organized the American Railway Union in 1893. A year later, ARU joins with Pullman workers and strike across many states. ARU refuses to pull Pullman Cars, which carry mail, which is a federal offense and leads to Debs getting arrested. In response the arrest, the workers of Debs decide to burn 800 Pullman cars, which ends the strike, but wrecks the union. 

The American Federation of Labor

The American Federation of Labor was a national organization in order to increase the working conditions of skilled industrial workers. It pushed for an eight-hour workday, nationalization of railroads and telegraph and telephone, establish 16 oz of sliver to 1 oz of gold ratio. This enabled the cost of money to decrease and finally, to end immigration to U.S which cost them politically. With all these efforts, it has become the most influential labor organizations in US history. 

William Jennings Bryan

William Jennings Bryan is remembered for his “Cross of Gold Speech.” In Bryan’s speech, he is able to travel the country and speak to 30,000 people at a time to get his message across. In his speech, he stated that banks and railroads have controlled the economy to too long and we need inflation. The central idea behind this speech is that silver and gold are the way out. Today, we still incorporate this speech in singing and creating ligature. The Wizard of Oz is one musical that comes to mind when thinking about Bryan’s Cross of Gold Speech.